Join The Downtown Boathouse for 20-minute instructional paddles. Please wear a bathing suit or shorts and a t-shirt, and know how to swim. Weather permitting. No registration required. Kayaks and life vests provided. All ages.

Please note: 72nd street Kayaking is volunteer run and volunteers are low, which sometimes results in shortened hours. The Downtown Boathouse is looking for volunteers. If you would like to volunteer please visit: http://www.downtownboathouse.org/volunteer.html

In homage to the beauty of the botanical world's most bizarre flora, the New York Botanical Garden invited members of the American Society of Botanical Artists to participate in a study of the eccentric, creating works of art based on visually unusual plants chosen by the artists themselves.

View the results of their efforts, 46 captivating paintings and illustrations of exotic specimens, on display in the Ross Gallery.

Since 1974, the Red Hook Food Vendors have been serving the most authentic and traditional foods from Latin America in New York City. Named after its location--one of Brooklyn's most colorful and historic neighborhoods--the Red Hook Food Vendor's Marketplace has become a popular destination for foodies all over. It has been widely recognized by local & international media as a top culinary destination. Its vendors have won numerous awards, including earning best street food in NYC 4 times (Vendy's) & maintaining that distinctive honor for three consecutive years.

New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome. The Rangers will guide participants across the Reservoir on the cross path that is usually closed to the public. To enhance your experience we encourage you to bring binoculurs and field guides, or ask a Ranger to borrow a pair.

Reduce stress, increase your energy and bring strength and flexibility to mind, body and spirit with a yoga practice. Classes are led by Yoga for Bliss director Neem Dewji and other certified instructors. Ms. Dewji is certified in Hatha and Therapeutic Yoga from The Yoga for Health Foundation, England, and The Integral Yoga Institute, NYC. All levels welcome. Sessions are held outdoors; indoors in inclement weather. Meet at Perkins Visitors Center.

Listen to the “Just So” stories by Rudyard Kipling, published by William Appleton, one of Wave Hill’s illustrious residents. Then, make your own inventive, animal book with bookmaker and visiting artist Donna Maria DeCreeft.

The Highbridge Forest Crew works to remove invasive plants from the park and to care for recently planted native trees.

As part of the Forest Crew you will learn basic invasive and native plant identification, proper removal techniques and an overview of New York Restoration Project’s approach to urban reforestation. Anyone interested in forest ecology, invasive plant removal, and urban forests should join the Forest Crew in their work every Sunday morning.

New members must attend a training and orientation the first Sunday of every month.

Take a break with an eclectic selection of favorite tabletop games for free. From Scrabble and mancala to dominoes and Jenga. Visit bryantpark.org to find weekly Game Socials and Clinics for Board and Party Games, Mah Jongg, and more.

Join us Sundays at Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 5 for another season of Brooklyn’s best street food. From brisket to bulgogi and Burmese noodles, to phatty beet sliders, fish and chips and farm-fresh ice cream, there’s always something yummy for everyone. Come enjoy our food with a view.

The markets are open 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., rain or shine, all spring, summer and fall. See ya there!

Few experiences compare with being on the open water in New York City.

Our trained Urban Park Rangers will lead you on canoe adventures that range from the gentle waters of protected lakes to the challenging open waters of rivers and bays. Participation in a mandatory safety review led by a trained Ranger is required.

Most canoe programs are first-come, first-serve. For ages 8 years old and up.

Join Charulata and David on the Concert Lawn for the Best Zumba workout to begin your week. Come alone or bring friends! If you love their routine, come back at the same time on Sunday, August 17, 2014.

Zumba is dance fitness based on international rhythm. Classes involve shaking, sweating, smiling, and having loads of fun while burning off calories. We incorporate steps into our routines that work out every part of the body. The music consists of international rhythms, including a mix of Latino, urban, Brazilian, Bollywood, and Carribeean Beats, as well as current top 40s music. Every class feels like a party - you don't even know how to dance.

This spring, take a moment to release stress and reconnect with your inner self while practicing meditation. Each session includes instruction in simple techniques followed by 20 to 30 minutes of meditation. Classes are led by Yoga for Bliss directorNeem Dewji and other certified instructors. All levels welcome. Sessions are held indoors.

Walk from the Dairy to Belvedere Castle and see how Central Park's interwoven landscapes began as a series of images envisioned by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. The route involves many hills and stairs.

Space is limited; advance registration suggested. Tickets available onsite with credit card only. Please arrive at the meeting location 15 minutes before the start of the tour to allow time for check in. For the courtesy of other guests, those arriving after the start time cannot be accommodated.

Join Bash the Trash for some musical entertainment played on 100% recycled and re-purposed materials and learn why the three R's - Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle - are so important to the health of the Earth. Then, make your own instruments out of recycled and reusable things!

Come to the Conference House in Tottenville for guided tours through an historic house where Benjamin Franklin, Edward Rutledge, John Adams, and Lord Howe met in an attempt to end the Revolutionary War. After taking a guided tour, experience the rich views of nature at Conference House Park, as well as stopping by the Visitor's Center to view our rotating exhibits!

Sample dishes prepared by chefs from Wave Hill exclusive caterer Great Performances, then stroll in the garden with a horticultural interpreter to see the featured ingredients in their summer glory.

Licorice shares familiar flavor compounds with herbs such as anise, tarragon, wormwood (think absinthe) and even basil. Touch and taste licorice-scented herbs and discover delicious ways to use these powerful aromatics in refreshing summer recipes. On the chef’s menu: She crab soup with tarragon and Pernod, and Saffron-braised fennel.

Join and dance with Brothers Entertainment, the one and only local Staten Island DJ Company as they play this summer's hottest hits on the Concert Lawn, adjacent to Fantasy Shore Amusement Park - come one, come all!

Brother's Entertainment DJ Company will partner with Staten Island Beach Fest throughout the summer. Other appearance dates include Sunday, August 3; Sunday, August 10; Saturday, August 23; and Sunday, August 31.

Join us at our all new weekly Game Socials to meet up with like-minded players interested in the same games as you.

Though kids games are available whenever we are open, the Kids Time Game Social lets the little ones enjoy games geared especially towards them. Learn about Candyland, Old Maid, Memory, or Operation every weekend.

Laughter in the Park is a free, outdoor comedy series that takes place over the course of five weeks throughout the summer. Every Sunday (except for Saturday, August 2), you can catch two hours of standup performed by some of comedy's most innovative and talked about artists. It's all for New Yorkers, and it's all free.

Our shows have been covered by the NYTimes, listed in the NYPost as a "Hot Weekend Pick," and named "Best Weekend Entertainment Bet" by Time Out NY/WNBC. Check www.nylaughs.org for details on this week's headliners.

NYLaughs, Inc. is a unique non-profit that aims to change the cultural landscape of the Big Apple through humor. From parks to streets and even subways, we provide New Yorkers laughter free of charge with our public live comedy shows. We want to make New York a better place through laughter.

Remembering is both a collective and a personal activity. In this exhibition, both are on display in relation to two World’s Fairs that took place in Flushing, Queens in 1939/40 and 1964/65. Within this exhibition, collective memory is represented by shared experiences of the Fairs and personal memory by the memorabilia drawn from the collections of people who attended and fondly recall the Fairs. While these Fairs were global in scope, their attendees were overwhelmingly local, many residing in Queens. All items on display in the exhibition have either been donated or loaned to the Queens Historical Society by those residents of Queens who attended the Fairs.

Open Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, 2:30 – 4:30 pm. Through May 31, 2015.

Saying the name Mishima is speaking about not only the great Japanese writer but one of Barcelona’s most influential bands of the 21st Century. Despite the fact they started singing in English, the five-piece band fronted by David Caraben started using his mother tongue around 2005 and paved the way for the new wave of indie bands writing songs in Catalan language. Loved by the press and with a fan base growing in geometrical progression, they’ve just released a new album, their seventh, recorded at the mythical Black Box Studios with the help of Peter Deimel (The Kills, The Last Shadow Puppets, Anna Calvi). Hailed as their best, “L’ànsia que cura” (TRIS-Warner, 2014), captures the raw energy of their live set and a sophisticated range of influences including The Smiths and JG. Ballard, Randy Newman and David Lynch, Tindersticks and the chanson française. Think The National born and raised by the Mediterranean Sea.

Txarango is the latest and most authentic phenomenon to be generated by the Barcelona sound. Born in the Raval, the city’s most multicultural neighborhood, the band plays an energetic live fusion that mixes reggae, dub, Latin music and native rhythms. On stage, their approach turns into pure feast and forcefulness. The message is clear: energy, joy and celebration. With their first album released, Txarango managed to perform in front of thousands of people in Spain's most emblematic festivals: Viñarock, Arenal Sound, MMVV (Vic) or BAM (Barcelona). Following-up their success of 2012 with a brand new album and tour in 2014, Txarango will continue to be one of Barcelona’s most exportable products.

Behind Headbirds hides the young producer Daniel Guijarro, who started in music as part of C156, a project from which Dani drew inspiration for the open mindedness and fusion of styles that have characterized his subsequent adventures. His first record as Headbirds was “Dead Kingdom,” a track that gave him media exposure with XLR8R, Playground and Concepto Radio, receiving critical acclaim for his first class fusion of UK funky, bass and tropical sounds. After several remixes for artists such as Pyrenees, Guillamino and Fur Voice, Guijarro is about to become one of the important names in contemporary national electronic music and is on the point of exporting his music to new territories. His next step is a 12” on El Segell, the new Primavera Sound record-label adventure, and the preparation of his debut LP that will be out before the end of the year. A record that will delve more deeply into the distinctive features of Headbirds between bass, house and techno atmospheres, combined with a clear melodic and dreamy input and songs that work in any context but always have one eye on the dance floor.

SummerStage Kids presented by Disney presents Queens Family Day, a day dedicated to engaging young audiences and their families through thrilling performances! Families will also have the opportunity to participate in interactive music & dance workshops + face painting and more!

Led by Music Director Wynton Marsalis, The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO), comprising 15 of the finest jazz soloists and ensemble players today, has been the Jazz at Lincoln Center resident orchestra since 1988. Featured in all aspects of Jazz at Lincoln Center's programming, this remarkably versatile orchestra performs and leads educational events in New York, across the U.S. and around the globe; in concert halls; dance venues; jazz clubs; public parks; and with symphony orchestras; ballet troupes; local students; and an ever-expanding roster of guest artists. Education is a major part of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s mission; its educational activities are coordinated with concert and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra tour programming. Jazz at Lincoln Center educational programs reaches over 110,000 students, teachers and general audience members.

Michael Philip Mossman has been active on the international scene since the age of 17, and has recorded with his own groups and with a virtual “who's who” of the music industry. Michael was nominated for a 2013 Grammy Award for “Best Instrumental Arrangement” for his “Afro-Latin Ellington Suite.” Michael has composed and arranged music for the films “Bossa Nova” and “Chico and Rita,” which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2012. His ballet “Beneath the Mask” was performed by Jon Faddis and the Chicago Jazz Orchestra with the Deeply Rooted Dance Company (choreographed by Mayte Vicens.) His ballet, La Cova do Rey Cintolo was premiered in 2010 in Mondoñedo, Spain. Mr. Mossman has composed and arranged scores for the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Louisiana Philharmonic, the Tri-Cities Symphony, Joe Henderson's Grammy winning Big Band album, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra, The Charles Mingus Orchestra, Tito Puente, Mario Bauza, Slide Hampton and the Jazz Masters Orchestra, Paquito D'Rivera and Ray Barretto's New World Spirit. Michael, a Yamaha Artist, is currently Professor and Director of Jazz Studies at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College in New York City.

Hudson Warehouse presents The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, Directed by Nicholas Martin-Smith

A farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personæ in order to escape burdensome social obligations. Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the play's major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways.

The mission of Hudson Warehouse is to present the classics in exciting productions inspired by our past and relevant to our present day. We want to educate the novice and enthrall the well-versed. We embrace the traditional and innovative, the classical and the modern classic. Through the dedication, passion and intelligence of all our theater artists, we bring these works to life. When our work elicits a true emotional response from an audience member, this experience reaffirms that theatre is a "ware" that is essential to daily life.

The summer Tai Chi classes will be an introduction to the foundational elements of Yang family Taijiquan, including the first section of the long form. In addition to this, we will be studying the eight Zhan Zhuang Qigong postures of Yiquan to complement our understanding of correct body alignment and connectedness of movement in Taijiquan.

Brooklyn Recreation wants to get you running! Whether you're a beginner or training for long distance races, this free, weekly program taught by a qualified instructor will boost your endurance and get you in shape.

Runners will meet in front of the Sunset Park Recreation Center and do a two mile run with instructor Shakeem Snipe in leafy Sunset Park. Bring a water bottle to stay hydrated. This program welcomes adults 18 and up.

The HSBC Children’s Garden at Queens Botanical Garden offers hands-on discovery for ages 5 – 12 (children must be 5 years old by June 30, 2014). Children’s imaginations and knowledge blossom as they plant and harvest vegetables and flowers, visit QBG’s engaging 39 acres, and cook with the food they’ve grown.

Summer I — Mondays & Wednesdays, July 7–August 20, 9am to 4pm

7 weeks: July 7–August 20: $810 QBG members / $900 non-members

July only: July 7–July 30: $477 QBG members / $530 non-members

August only: August 4–20: $360 QBG members / $400 non-members

Summer II — Tuesdays & Thursdays, July 8–August 21, 9am to 4pm

7 weeks: July 8–August 21: $810 QBG members / $900 non-members

July only: July 8–July 31: $477 QBG members / $530 non-members

August only: August 5–21: $360 QBG members / $400 non-members

Discounts apply to Family level memberships and above. Visit the Queens Botanical Garden to learn more and register.

In celebration of the 50th and 75th anniversaries of the World’s Fairs, Tomorrow’s World will include never before exhibited vintage images from the Parks Photo Archive and private collections that illustrate the dynamic evolution and conversion of a vast industrial wasteland into New York City's fourth largest park. The World’s Fairs propelled this transformation, while serving as defining social and cultural events for two generations. The show will also include memorabilia, as well as two zodiac animals from Paul Manship’s vandalized Armillary Sphere from the second fair.

This exhibition is free and open to the public. For more information, please call (212) 360-8163.

In homage to the beauty of the botanical world's most bizarre flora, the New York Botanical Garden invited members of the American Society of Botanical Artists to participate in a study of the eccentric, creating works of art based on visually unusual plants chosen by the artists themselves.

View the results of their efforts, 46 captivating paintings and illustrations of exotic specimens, on display in the Ross Gallery.

City Parks Foundation is excited to announce the return of its popular PuppetMobile production, Little Red’s Hood. Little Red’s Hood is a fresh retelling of the classic “Little Red Riding Hood” tale updated with a modern sensibility that will appeal to kids. The production features a dozen, hand-made marionettes crafted by the expert puppeteers from the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre. Like many of today’s children, Little Red is a smart, young city slicker who is to focused on her smartphone to notice her surroundings. Wulfric is a misunderstood wolf with a sweet tooth. When Little Red travels from New York City to the country to deliver some cupcakes to her Grandma, she encounters a colorful cast of characters as Wulfric the Wolf tries to head her off at the pass. Little Red’s Hood is directed by Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre's Artistic Director Bruce Cannon and written by Liam Hurley.

Mix Kid Ace's extraordinary magic with Paris the Hip-Hop Juggler's amazing stunts, and what do you have? MindFlip Duo: the hottest tandem to hit the scene! Mixing hip juggling with mind-blowing magical feats and comedy, MindFlip Duo, formerly known as The Renaissance League, create one fresh, exciting full-length show with signature material that they've performed throughout the nation and abroad. Be careful not to blink. You might miss something!

Paris, given the nickname "The Hip-Hop Juggler" by Al Roker himself, has been dazzling audiences with his brand of juggling for over a decade. He has appeared at the Big Apple Circus, The Today Show, Sesame Street, The White House, and the We Free convention in Italy to name a few. He has also been featured in Juggle magazine and Time Out New York. Paris has gained critical acclaim for his juggling instruction, teaching hundreds at conventions, universities, and corporations. He has taught over 1,000 people how to juggle. We bet he can teach you too!

The Edge School of the Arts (ESOTA) was founded in 1996 and modeled after the prominent Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center which stood as a beacon of cultural and artistic excellence in Southeast Queens for almost 50 years. ESOTA is in its 18th year of existence. The school is family owned, and operated by management and teachers with years of professional dance training and experience. ESOTA is also the home of the award-winning children's dance company KECDE (The Kerri Edge Children's Dance Ensemble).

Take a break with an eclectic selection of favorite tabletop games for free. From Scrabble and mancala to dominoes and Jenga. Visit bryantpark.org to find weekly Game Socials and Clinics for Board and Party Games, Mah Jongg, and more.

Pass over streams and under arches on a maze of pathways in this secluded, 38-acre woodland on this route, which involves many hills and stairs.

Space is limited; advance registration suggested. Tickets available onsite with credit card only. Please arrive at the meeting location 15 minutes before the start of the tour to allow time for check in. For the courtesy of other guests, those arriving after the start time cannot be accommodated.

Rockaway!, a free public arts festival sponsored by the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy (JBRPC) to celebrate the reopening of Fort Tilden and recognize the ongoing recovery of the Rockaway peninsula, opens June 29 and continues through September 1, 2014. Invited by the Rockaway Artists Alliance (RAA), an association of artists based in and around the Rockaways, and the JBRPC, MoMA PS1 has assisted and supported the conception of this festival.

One component of the festival is a group exhibition organized in collaboration with the Honolulu Biennial on the grounds of the newly restored Rockaway Beach Surf Club on Beach 87th Street in Rockaway Beach. Following Hurricane Sandy, the Surf Club was the one of the largest relief centers on the peninsula; their organization facilitated and directed over 5,000 volunteers, with major contributions from MoMA PS1. The exhibition celebrates the efforts of the Rockaway community of surfers and artists in rebuilding their neighborhood.

For details and times of the rest of the exhibit, please visit the Rockaway! website.

Lively and entertaining commentary on the classic movie Mad As Hell: The Making of Network and the Fateful Vision of the Angriest Man in Movies. With resident film expert Scott Adlerberg and author Dave Itzkoff.

Walk the City with a trained fitness instructor leading a group in a warm up, an exciting walk, and a cool down.All are welcome. This walk is wheelchair accessible and an adaptive program for New Yorkers of all abilities. Participation in the program is free.

For more information on the program, please visit the Walk NYC webpage.

Mr. Seeger and Mr. Belafonte became international household names as singers who stood for change. For Belafonte that meant being involved in both the Civil Rights Movement in US and the Anti-Apatheid movement in South Africa. For Seeger that meant getting people singing, and then using song to lead marches and rallies around the world. From the labor movement to the Civil Rights movement to the environmental movement, Pete Seeger was always on the front lines.

Today’s artists aren’t that different from Seeger and Belafonte, they also use music as a means to give voice to the voiceless and inspire people to change the world for themselves, their communities and future generations.

Anti-Flag have been spreading their message of unity to the masses for two decades. Through the years, they’ve gone from non-stop tours crisscrossing North America in a dilapidated van to world tours spanning five continents. From humble beginnings in the Steel Town, Anti-Flag has worked hard to use music as a force for positive change. They are advocates for worker and human rights, environmentalism, animal rights, healthcare, conscientious objectors, prison reform and freedom for political prisoners, equality and peace. Last year Anti-Flag celebrated 20 years as a band. The band joined forces with Art For Amnesty to release an electrifying version of “Toast To Freedom,” the now-classic commemorative song written to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International. The track — inspired by the imprisonment of Russian activist punk band Pussy Riot and benefiting human rights organization Amnesty International – was recorded at the legendary Hansa Studio in Berlin, Germany, and features Donots, Ian D’Sa of Billy Talent, and Bernd of Beatsteaks. Anti-Flag’s music and message is a call to action for people of all backgrounds and beliefs to focus on making tomorrow a better place for all. As Anti-Flag celebrates 20 years, they carry the torch forward putting emphasis of the band and every show played on community.

Toni Blackman is the first Hip Hop artist selected to work as a US Hip Hop Ambassador with the US Department of State. Her experiences in cultural diplomacy as an artist enables her to move through various communities (the arts, political circles, international gatherings, youth groups, academia, music industry, etc). As an official Hip hop Envoy she has traveled extensively throughout South Africa, Botswana, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Swaziland, Taiwan, Indonesia, the Philippines, performing and working in more than 30 different countries. She has also served as a juror for the American Music Abroad tour, a judge for ExchangesConnect programs, worked with international cultural arts competition, and has been consulted on selection of talent from both North America and Africa for various department initiatives. An Echoing Green Fellow, a former Open Society Institute Fellow, creator of Freestyle Union and Rhyme like a Girl, Toni is both highly respected as an artist and social entrepreneur. She was commissioned by the African Continuum Theater Company in Washington, DC to co-write and co-star in “The Hip Hop Nightmares of Jujube Brown” and has featured pieces at the NY Hip Hop Theater Festival. Toni’s first book, Inner-Course was released in 2003 (Villard/Random House). She recently completed Wisdom of the Cipher which will be released late Spring/Summer 2014. Her new book, Travels of a Lyrical Ambassador: A Poetic Memoir, has a 2015 release date, and will have an accompanying soundtrack.

The Chapin Sisters, Lily & Abigail Chapin are known for pristine harmonies and haunting melodies. They’ve been compared to sister acts of old and Appalachian family groups, yet their original songs and arrangements have a very contemporary aspect, with elements of pop, blues, folk, and even psychedelic rock. Abigail and Lily were born in Brooklyn New York. They couldn’t help but pick up a thorough grounding in traditional American roots music and folk-rock from their father, 3-time Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Tom Chapin. He, along with their grandfather Jim Chapin, a jazz drummer, and their uncle, singer-songwriter Harry Chapin, created an environment wherein music held an almost sacred purpose, of bringing people together, whether it be for family, humanitarian purposes, or joyful release. When the family relocated to New York’s Hudson Valley, the girls attended a Waldorf school whose arts-based education added training in orchestral music and the complicated harmonies of Shape-note songs and old English folk ballads. Through elementary and high school they sang on over a dozen studio albums. With two critically-acclaimed full-length albums under their belt, 2008’s Lake Bottom LP and 2010’s Two, Abigail and Lily released A Date with the Everly Brothers in the Spring of 2013. Recorded in one day, live in the studio with a full band in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, the album includes 14 of the sisters’ favorite Everlys songs, a tribute as well as a master class in harmony singing. The album was featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition, The New York Times’ T magazine, and included on many year-end top 10 lists. The Chapin Sisters are currently working on their next album.

Fronted by MC’s Rodstarz, and MC/Producer G1, Rebel Diazshows us the true global power of Hip-Hop. After first performing at an immigrant rights march in New York City in 2006 in front of a half million people, the bilingual crew has taken the international community by storm with their explosive live shows. With influences ranging from Chicago house to South American folk, Rebel Diaz combines classic boom bap tradition with Hip-Hop’s global impact. The group’s versatility has allowed for them to share the stage with the likes of Common, Mos Def, and Public Enemy, while feeling right at home with acts like Rage Against the Machine and Calle 13. Multiple tours throughout Europe and Latin America have only solidified their international appeal. With roots in Chicago, and now based in the South Bronx, Rebel Diaz has also piqued the interest of the academic community with their poignant social commentary and energetic performances. They have spent the last 8 years visiting dozens of colleges and universities, facilitating workshops, speaking on panels, and performing at national conferences. Building on this growing network of positive young people in Hip-Hop, the group opened a community arts center in the South Bronx in 2008, the Rebel Diaz Arts Collective (RDACBX). On the heels of their critically acclaimed Otro Guerrillero mixtape series, and 2011′s #Occupy The Airwaves mixtape, Rebel Diaz released their debut album, The Radical Dilemma, in December 2013.

A protégé of legendary songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, Steve Earle quickly became a master storyteller in his own right, with his songs being recorded by Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, Travis Tritt, The Pretenders, Joan Baez and countless others. 1986 saw the release of his debut record, Guitar Town, which shot to number one on the country charts and immediately established the term “New Country.” What followed was an extremely exciting and varied array of releases including the biting hard rock of Copperhead Road (1988), the minimalist beauty of Train A Comin’ (1995), the politically charged masterpiece, Jerusalem (2002) and the Grammy Award Winning albums The Revolution Starts…Now (2004), Washington Square Serenade (2007) and Townes (2009). I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive (2011) is Steve Earle’s 14th Studio Album and shares the same name with his 2011 debut novel. Of the novel, Patti Smith stated, “Steve Earle brings to his prose the same authenticity, poetic spirit and cinematic energy he projects in his music. I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive is like a dream you can’t shake, offering beauty and remorse, redemption in spades.”

Nearly a decade after folk-rock duo Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion put out their first album together, the husband-and-wife pair feel like they’ve finally hit their stride on Wassaic Way, a collection of 11 new songs to be released August 6th on Rte 8 Records. Produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and Patrick Sansone at the Loft in Chicago, Wassaic Way finds Guthrie and Irion pushing further beyond the folky sound they established on 2005’s Exploration, their first studio LP. Any of the songs on Wassaic Way could be a single, which speaks to the strength of the songwriting, and also to Guthrie and Irion’s underlying goal: they wanted an album that moves them one step closer to getting at the heart of who they are as writers and performers.“Every record has been a huge learning curve, and you get pushed beyond your limits, and then your limits are way bigger,” Guthrie says. “I think we’re still at the beginning of what we can do as recording artists. I think we’re just starting to carve a path that we can walk on.”

James Maddock affirms his status as a fixture on the Folk and Americana scene with the release of Another Life, his latest album on Jullian Records. Nodding to ‘70s rock with shimmering acoustic guitars, an understated rhythm section and flourishes of fiddle, mandolin, piano and dobro, Another Life bridges the mainstream appeal of songwriters like Jesse Harris and Norah Jones and the quirkier sensibility of Loudon Wainwright. With funding entirely from fan contributions through PledgeMusic, Maddock worked with producer Matt Pierson, multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell (who’s played with Bob Dylan and Levon Helm) and bassist Tony Scherr (who plays with Norah Jones). After fronting the Columbia Records band Wood, whose debut Songs From Stamford Hill was featured prominently on TV shows such as “Dawson’s Creek,” Maddock moved from England to New York City in 2003. His 2009 album Sunrise On Avenue C won a New York Music Award for Best Americana Album, while follow-up Wake Up And Dream ranked among the top albums of 2011 in WFUV's Listener Poll. He has performed with Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nile, Aaron Comess (Spin Doctors) and David Immergluck (Counting Crows). According to radio legend Vin Scelsa, Maddock's "heartbreakingly beautiful and exquisitely crafted" music "touches the soul." Maddock is a constant live presence in the U.S. and Europe.

After thousands of concerts across tens-of-thousands of miles, Ruth Ungar & Mike Merenda have emerged as one of acoustic America’s most revered musical duos. As story-tellers, as singers, as poets and as parents (they tour with their two small children), Mike + Ruthy are heralds of an American cultural awakening that values honesty and togetherness, prefers grit to glitz, and revels in the old-fashioned telling of a story. Described as “rich, vintage Americana” by Time Out NY, Mike + Ruthy’s 2012 Woody Guthrie collaboration “My New York City” is being hailed as one of the most gorgeous pieces ever to have come out of the archive. Mike + Ruthy can hold an intimate audience in the palm of their hands, and then when it's festival season it's time to crank it up a notch and expand the band. An Americana mix of bass, drums and pedal steel add swirl and stomp, making their set even more powerful, and fun for the big stage. A beautiful, live, duo record and a fresh, full-band, studio album are currently in the works for release in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

Song writer and award winning Poet Nyraine Santiago better known as Nyraine is a poetic genius born and raised in Harlem. From his earliest years since the age of seven he would spend countless hours writing poems, paraphrasing and memorizing stanzas which eventually led to birthing his own creative talents. Nyraine’s first musical forays began at the early age of 11. He became a featured vocalist with the New York Boys Choir with whom he toured with throughout the United States and Internationally. Nyraine performed with legends such as Diana Ross , Michael Bolton and in 1995 was invited to Japan to sing for Pope John Paul III. A very influential point in his early performance life would be when Nyraine and the Boy's Choir sang alongside Coolio in the live telecast performance of “Gangsta’s Paradise” along with the Legendary Stevie Wonder and LV in Radio City Music Hall at the 1995 Billboard Music Awards. Nyraine has a way of drawing you into his mind and soul with his words which not many can do. It’s the combination of the vibrations, frequency of his vocals and his deep over standing of the words he speaks. Some of his current accomplishments include: wining the 2012 Underground Music Awards Lyricist of the year title, featured articles in the XXL Magazine and Hip Hop Weekly. He is the next great MCee .

Provocative, irreverent, controversial and wildly creative, Amanda Palmer is a fearless singer, songwriter, playwright, blogger and an audaciously expressive pianist who simultaneously embraces – and explodes – traditional frameworks of music, theater and art. Amanda first came to prominence as one half of the internationally acclaimed punk cabaret duo The Dresden Dolls. In 2008, she released her debut solo album, Who Killed Amanda Palmer, produced by Ben Folds and accompanied by a fine art photography book featuring text by esteemed author Neil Gaiman (who Palmer has since married). Amanda is widely known as “The Social Media Queen of Rock-N-Roll” for her constant and disarmingly intimate engagement with her fans via her blog, Tumblr, and Twitter, and has been at the vanguard of using both “direct to fan” and “pay what you want” business models to build and run her business. In May of 2012 she made international news when she raised nearly $1.2 million pre-selling her new album, Theatre is Evil via Kickstarter. Theatre is Evil went on to debut in the “Billboard Top 10” when it was released on Sept. 11, 2012, and has been released in over 20 countries on her own label, 8ft records. Amanda was invited to present a “TED Talk” at TED’s 2013 Conference. To date her Talk, “The Art of Asking”, has been viewed more than 4 million times worldwide. 2013 also saw the release of “An Evening with Neil Gaiman & Amanda Palmer”- a 3 CD collection of tracks culled from a live tour with her husband and best-selling author Neil Gaiman.

Rusted Root, the multi-platinum sextet out of Pittsburgh, evolved around front-man Michael Glabicki’s distinct sound and grew into a musical entity that has thrived in a non-genre specific category all its own. In addition to the two decades with Rusted Root, Glabicki is exploring new sounds and opening new doors with his solo carrer. He has started touring nationally as a trio act, and explains that although he has his roots with Rusted Root, the sound is very different. Glabicki has always invited the audience to participate in the creation of Rusted Root’s music. He frequently tests new songs on the road to see the fan reaction. Constantly writing new material, Glabicki finds that some of it fits his solo sound better than Rusted Root’s. He currently routes his solo tours around the Rusted Root schedule, and has multiple performances throughout the year. While not on tour with Rusted Root or working on his solo career, Glabicki also has started his own studio, Red Cloud in Pittsburgh. What started as a place for him to write and record new songs, has now grown into a full scale studio where local musicians can rent space to work on their new albums. A multifaceted musician, producer and songwriter, Glabicki’s talents are unique and extremely uplifting. His solo tour dates and new music are extensions of his creative talent, and will inspire all those who participate.

Clive Campbell aka DJ Kool Herc is credited with originating hip hop music. He first began to spin records in the recreation room of his Bronx building in the 1970's, isolating and mixing together breaks from different songs and forming the basis of what the world has come to know as Hip-Hop.

Flicks on the Beach, now in its fourth year, screens movies on the Coney Island Beach near West 10th St. This year’s movie line-up includes critically-acclaimed films—both classics and new-releases— for the whole family. All of the movies will screen on Monday evenings, with free entertainment starting at 7:30pm and the films starting at dusk. Area businesses will offer discounts to movie-goers and other patrons throughout the season.

In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, and he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.

Come to Fort Tryon Park and try something new. Join us on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings for one hour of walking, stretching, and strengthening exercises.

All of our fitness programs are free, led by trained professionals, and suitable for all levels. Wear comfortable clothing and bring water. Please check back for rain and weather/air advisory cancels.

For a breath of fresh air, take your workouts outdoors. Parks are becoming a logical alternative environment for those who want to add variety to their work outs, or who just don't like the gym. And, it's an affordable way to increase physical activity opportunities, because there's nothing special to build.

Exercise with a view, in natural sunlight, with green scenery all around bestows health benefits that can’t be found indoors. Scientific studies have shown that the pleasure of being outdoors for example gives your brain, psyche, and immune system an extra boost.

Please note: Fitness programs are canceled if the weather is lower than 20 degrees and when there are icy conditions. Saturday morning walks begin at 8:30 a.m.

Get a sense of Queens Botanical Garden's past and how both the 1939 and 1964 New York World's Fairs influenced the Garden's development. This exhibit is created largely from the Garden's own archives with images that illustrate these important events in New York City's history.

The HSBC Children’s Garden at Queens Botanical Garden offers hands-on discovery for ages 5 – 12 (children must be 5 years old by June 30, 2014). Children’s imaginations and knowledge blossom as they plant and harvest vegetables and flowers, visit QBG’s engaging 39 acres, and cook with the food they’ve grown.

Summer I — Mondays & Wednesdays, July 7–August 20, 9am to 4pm

7 weeks: July 7–August 20: $810 QBG members / $900 non-members

July only: July 7–July 30: $477 QBG members / $530 non-members

August only: August 4–20: $360 QBG members / $400 non-members

Summer II — Tuesdays & Thursdays, July 8–August 21, 9am to 4pm

7 weeks: July 8–August 21: $810 QBG members / $900 non-members

July only: July 8–July 31: $477 QBG members / $530 non-members

August only: August 5–21: $360 QBG members / $400 non-members

Discounts apply to Family level memberships and above. Visit the Queens Botanical Garden to learn more and register.

In celebration of the 50th and 75th anniversaries of the World’s Fairs, Tomorrow’s World will include never before exhibited vintage images from the Parks Photo Archive and private collections that illustrate the dynamic evolution and conversion of a vast industrial wasteland into New York City's fourth largest park. The World’s Fairs propelled this transformation, while serving as defining social and cultural events for two generations. The show will also include memorabilia, as well as two zodiac animals from Paul Manship’s vandalized Armillary Sphere from the second fair.

This exhibition is free and open to the public. For more information, please call (212) 360-8163.

Austrian artist, Thomas Stubbings, A Street Photography documentary performed in the Bronx, New York City and Vienna, Austria, gives insight into the daily lives of both cities. Capturing moments of related subjects, it shows the differences and similarities of two places so far apart and yet so near.

Human Impacts Institute’s successful Tree Care Tuesday program will be entering its second season, launching during earth week this April. The goal of Tree Care Tuesdays is to beautify NYC neighborhoods, create community relationships, promote green space, mitigate air pollution, and prevent stormwater runoff.

Tree care sessions involve community volunteers, alongside HII crew cleaning-up, aerating and mulching tree beds and planting bulbs in the tree bed soil all while spending quality time with your community and mother nature.

Human Impacts Institute will provide supplies for tree care. Participants should bring water bottles, sunblock, a hat, and any other personal items. Participants under 18 need to be accompanied by a guardian.

Please note: Tree Care Tuesdays meet on Tuesdays between 10:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m., from April 22nd through September 2nd. On April 22, May 20, June 17 and July 15, Tree Care Tuesdays will meet 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Space is limited. Registration is recommended for individuals and required for groups. Please register by email with your full name and contact information and specify “Tree Care Tuesday”, the specific DATE, as well as how many people will be attending in your registration.

In homage to the beauty of the botanical world's most bizarre flora, the New York Botanical Garden invited members of the American Society of Botanical Artists to participate in a study of the eccentric, creating works of art based on visually unusual plants chosen by the artists themselves.

View the results of their efforts, 46 captivating paintings and illustrations of exotic specimens, on display in the Ross Gallery.

City Parks Foundation is excited to announce the return of its popular PuppetMobile production, Little Red’s Hood. Little Red’s Hood is a fresh retelling of the classic “Little Red Riding Hood” tale updated with a modern sensibility that will appeal to kids. The production features a dozen, hand-made marionettes crafted by the expert puppeteers from the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre. Like many of today’s children, Little Red is a smart, young city slicker who is to focused on her smartphone to notice her surroundings. Wulfric is a misunderstood wolf with a sweet tooth. When Little Red travels from New York City to the country to deliver some cupcakes to her Grandma, she encounters a colorful cast of characters as Wulfric the Wolf tries to head her off at the pass. Little Red’s Hood is directed by Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre's Artistic Director Bruce Cannon and written by Liam Hurley.

Alex & the Kaleidoscope Band ’s concerts are an electrifying, communal experience! Expect hand clapping, foot stomping, world-music infused rhythms alongside emotional arrangements that provide precious bonding opportunities for parent and child to get lost in the magic of the music.

Mix Kid Ace's extraordinary magic with Paris the Hip-Hop Juggler's amazing stunts, and what do you have? MindFlip Duo: the hottest tandem to hit the scene! Mixing hip juggling with mind-blowing magical feats and comedy, MindFlip Duo, formerly known as The Renaissance League, create one fresh, exciting full-length show with signature material that they've performed throughout the nation and abroad. Be careful not to blink. You might miss something!

Paris, given the nickname "The Hip-Hop Juggler" by Al Roker himself, has been dazzling audiences with his brand of juggling for over a decade. He has appeared at the Big Apple Circus, The Today Show, Sesame Street, The White House, and the We Free convention in Italy to name a few. He has also been featured in Juggle magazine and Time Out New York. Paris has gained critical acclaim for his juggling instruction, teaching hundreds at conventions, universities, and corporations. He has taught over 1,000 people how to juggle. We bet he can teach you too!

Since its inception in 1989, Ifetayo Cultural Arts Academy has been dedicated to supporting the creative, educational, and vocational development of youth of African descent in Brooklyn and surrounding communities. The organization’s name comes from the West African Yoruba word "ifetayo" meaning "love is enough for joy" and captures Ifetayo’s approach to empowering youth, studying culture through the arts, and redefining community. The Ifetayo Youth Ensemble (IYE) is an award-winning performance group, recognized for their combination of artistic excellence and exploration of social issues. Members are youth of the African Diaspora ages 12 – 19 residing in under resourced communities of central Brooklyn, who thrive under the opportunity for education, art-making, and self-determination. IYE creates high-caliber original, socially relevant, and interdisciplinary performance works.